Newspaperofrecord to face only four in Wonder Again Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Newspaperofrecord, who suffered her first defeat in the Grade 3 Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs last month, will be heavily favored to make amends in Thursday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Wonder Again Stakes at Belmont Park.

The Wonder Again, for 3-year-old fillies scheduled for 1 1/8 miles, drew only five runners for the turf and one other if the race is transferred to the main track. It is the third race on a nine-race card that begins at 3:05 p.m. Eastern and includes the Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental Stakes for older female turf sprinters and the $150,000 Astoria Stakes for juvenile fillies on dirt.

Newspaperofrecord was the dominant 2-year-old turf filly in 2018, winning all three of her starts – including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf – by a combined 20 lengths. In the Edgewood, her 3-year-old debut, she made all the pace but gave way to Concrete Rose and lost by 2 3/4 lengths. Concrete Rose is training up to the $750,000 Belmont Oaks on July 6, a race that Newspaperofrecord is trying to make as well.

Distance may be Newspaperofrecord’s biggest obstacle in the Wonder Again. The Irish-bred daughter of Lope de Vega has yet to try nine furlongs.

“I think she’ll stretch out effectively, I really do,” trainer Chad Brown said. “It’s just a matter of her settling and finishing her races the way we know she can.”

On Saturday, Newspaperofrecord had her third workout since the Edgewood, breezing a half-mile in 48.04 seconds in company with Cambier Parc, who finished fourth in the Edgewood and returns in the Wonder Again.

Newspaperofrecord drew post 3 and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., while Cambier Parc drew post 4 and will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.

Kelsey’s Cross, who on May 19 won a maiden race at Gulfstream; Blonde Moment, a May 11 maiden winner at Monmouth at 22-1; and Chocolate Kisses, who won an allowance race on turf in January before racing on dirt, complete the field on turf. Nonsensical is the main-track-only entrant.

Blonde Moment worked five furlongs in 59.89 seconds Saturday morning over Belmont’s main track, in company with Hersh, who was credited with a time of 59.22.

Brown has trio for Intercontinental

Brown entered three of the nine fillies and mares scheduled to go seven furlongs in the Intercontinental Stakes. A 10th horse, J C’s Shooting Star, is a main-track-only entrant.

Brown has the uncoupled trio of Significant Form, Zonza, and Stella di Camelot in a race that looks wide open.

Both Significant Form and Stella di Camelot, stakes winners at Belmont, are coming off lengthy layoffs. Zonza, a Group 3 winner in France, makes her second start in the U.S. and second for Brown. She was fourth as the favorite in a third-level allowance at Keeneland in April, her first start in eight months.

“Bad post, soft ground, layoff – just wasn’t her deal,” Brown said.

Significant Form, who won the Miss Grillo at 2 and the Memories of Silver at 3, is making her first start since she finished fourth in the off-the-turf Winter Memories last November at Aqueduct. She has never run shorter than a mile in her eight-race career.

“I’ve been interested in trying her short,” Brown said. “I wanted an easier spot to try it.”

Stella di Camelot won the Pebbles Stakes here last fall before finishing fifth in the Mrs. Revere over yielding ground at Churchill.

The others entered in the Intercontinental are Enthusiastic Gal, unbeaten over Belmont’s turf, Binti Al Nar, Raven’s Lady, Fire Key, Broadway Run, and Fear No Evil.

Ward, Casse duos head Astoria

Trainers Wesley Ward and Mark Casse each entered a pair of 2-year-old fillies – all four of whom were debut winners – as part of a nine-horse field for the Astoria Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs.

Ward entered Dixie Mo, a four-length winner at Indiana Grand, and Ms Headley, a two-length winner at Churchill Downs. Casse entered Perfect Alibi, a 9 1/2-length winner at Churchill, and Reiterate, who dead-heated for the win in a 4 1/2-furlong race at Gulfstream.

The field includes the Todd Pletcher-trained Sneaky Surprise, a 4 1/4-length debut winner at Belmont on May 9; Punk Rock Princess, a second-out winner at Laurel; Twirling Owen, a debut winner at Laurel who ran sixth in the Kentucky Juvenile against males; and the maidens Talk You Out of It and Maryanorginger.